


Cat got your tongue?

by kamikaze43v3r



Category: Bleach
Genre: Cats, Cute, M/M, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 18:50:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7813156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamikaze43v3r/pseuds/kamikaze43v3r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimmjow thought himself as a strong guy. Mean, tough, and confident he could beat up anyone who looked at him wrong, no matter who they were. </p>
<p>His weakness?</p>
<p>Cats.</p>
<p>(inspired by that yakuza boss from Ore wa Busamen by Yukue Moegi)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat got your tongue?

Grimmjow thought himself as a strong guy. Mean, tough, and confident he could beat up anyone who looked at him wrong, no matter who they were. In the first place, his natural blue hair and cobalt eyes already attracted the wrong attention so of course he had to look out for himself. It was just a bonus that he enjoyed himself at the same time. He was even known as The Panther, for his reputable ferocity in fights. And along with that infamy, he headed a gang of his own, called El Seis, albeit a small one. But his guys were tough and despite their small numbers, they'd taken over a turf and held off any other gangs many times their size. 

 

Yet throughout the time, no one could get hold of the Sexta’s weakness. It wasn't money, not women, not even his close friends. Only he knew his own weakness, and Grimmjow wasn't gonna let anyone know about it. 

 

His weakness? 

 

Cats. 

 

Balls of purring, fluffy fur. Large eyes. Claws. And soft paw pads.  

 

Even Grimmjow, The Panther, leader of El Seis, had fallen victim to the cuteness that came in the form of felines. Perhaps, that was how he got the name and someone had actually found out about his love for cats.

 

Maybe Grimmjow would have to look out for this person and silence them. 

 

But that was a long time ago. People may still know of his name - The Panther - but he no longer involved himself with that world anymore. He had real-life, adult issues to worry about, even if he hated assimilating  with the major society. He managed to at least say ‘fuck you’ to that, by opening his own pub and not be under anyone's employ, though he was more of the bouncer than the owner. 

 

His former subordinates - or close friends, as he'd reluctantly call them, had decided to work under him. They were the other five in La Seis, with Shawlong who was his former right-hand man as the manager, Edrad as security, Nakeem under finance, Yylfordt as the bartender, and Di Roy as the errand boy or mostly the waiter. 

 

They were close, no matter what Grimmjow would say, seeing that they've actually stuck with each other for so many years, but Grimmjow held his secret weakness very close. He'd made sure none of them knew about it. Even when there were strays that passed by the back of his pub scavenging for food, Grimmjow would stick some kibble or fish for them somewhere and got the hell outta there before anyone could catch him in the act. He'd beat the shit out of anyone he caught abusing the animals. If possible, he'd even snatch up a stray (as gently as he could, and yes he can be gentle even if he could crush a man's neck with his hands) and bring them to a shelter he'd researched and trusted. And  _ even then,  _ he'd do that anonymously. 

 

And why would anyone go so far to hide such a harmless part of themselves, one would ask. His pride, sure, but Grimmjow wasn't a tyrant (much) and he did look out for his guys, so it wouldn't be such a big issue if he showed some love for animals. 

 

The problem was in how  _ much _ he loved cats. Especially in his display of affection for them. 

 

One moment, he could be staring down a feral feline, and the next moment, he'd be almost cooing with a barely restrained joyous expression as he pet said cat. But most of the cats were afraid of Grimmjow, so most of the time he'd stare and fawn over them from afar, with the best poker face any gambler would be proud of so no one would suspect anything. 

 

In short, Grimmjow would become a mindless puddle of goo around cats. And with his lifestyle, that was dangerous. So he kept that secret for as long as possible, and he hoped it'd stay that way to his grave. 

 

Until one fateful night.

 

* * *

 

_ Meow _ !

 

It was the recognizable sound of a cat, something Grimmjow definitely knew and looked out for. 

 

_ Meoooooow _ !

 

The cat sounded like it was whining, which, from Grimmjow’s guess, meant it was hungry, or wanted to get into something,or worst case, in distress. And Grimmjow, being the good samaritan that he was, peeked out from the back door of his pub and made sure no one was present in the alleyway. His guys had already gone home and it was just him doing the closing, so it should be safe. 

 

Grimmjow spotted the meowing cat at a corner not far away from where he was. He had already brought out some kibble, and it appeared that the cat had already smelled it, as it was coming towards him. 

 

Grimmjow was barely containing his grin as he knelt down to feed the cat. He noticed that it was clean and well groomed from its pure white fur, so that meant this was someone's cat. He wondered if the cat had been abandoned, and that thought immediately made him angry. But it appeared to be too well taken care of, so it seemed unlikely. Still scowling, Grimmjow calmed himself down as he stroked the fur on the cat’s back as it ate. It was either extremely friendly or was too hungry to bother. Either way, Grimmjow was ecstatic he found the little guy.

 

He expected the cat to run off once it was done, but to Grimmjow’s very pleasant surprise, the cat didn’t leave. Instead, it sat where it was and stared at Grimmjow with its large, golden eyes. , Grimmjow met its gaze as the cat assessed him, wondering what it was thinking. He didn’t want to scare it, but before he could do anything, the cat nudged and rubbed its head against Grimmjow’s leg.

 

Which made Grimmjow cover his face and tried not to make a sound from  _ joy _ . 

 

The cat meowed and jumped onto his lap, and Grimmjow went stiff. The cat was clearly comfortable with him and Grimmjow wanted to bring him home. But it was better if it got proper help and be returned to its owner. He picked the white cat up and was just about to bring it in when someone yelled.

 

“Shiro!” came a young man’s voice. Hurried footsteps accompanied the voice and Grimmjow’s vision was immediately pulled to a bright mop of orange hair. “Shiro! Oh my god!”

 

The young man had run up towards Grimmjow, panting as he halted to a stop. He was glaring at the cat in Grimmjow’s arms, and at the same time, he looked worried. “Is this your cat?” Grimmjow asked, his guard up automatically, trying to play it off cool. 

 

The young man - or more like kid - looked up at him, appearing startled as if he just noticed Grimmjow was there. His eyes were a warm brown, and the kid looked… kind. As evidenced by how well taken care of the white cat seemed.

 

“Yeah, sorry. He ran off and I was looking for him… Thank you,” the kid said, gently taking Shiro the white cat from Grimmjow. The cat gave an expression similar to that of a kid getting caught doing a prank. Grimmjow schooled his features but stared ruefully at the feline, wanting to pet it some more. It was the first time a cat seemed to like him, too. “Uh, you wanna pet him some more? His name’s Shiro.” The kid gave an encouraging smile at Grimmjow as he held the cat out to him.

 

“It’s. Fine,” Grimmjow replied through gritted teeth and furrowed eyebrows, immediately defensive. The kid looked annoyed at the harsh response but shrugged.

 

“Right. But, thanks anyway,” the orange haired kid said and gave him a nod. He could be heard chiding the cat in his arms as he walked away, while Grimmjow watched the young man go. The blue haired man sighed and went back in to finish the closing.

 

He wondered if the kid lived nearby for the cat to have come wandering around there. 

 

* * *

 

Grimmjow didn’t think he would see Shiro again.

 

Not that soon, anyway.

 

It had only been a couple of days since he heard the white cat - Shiro, was the cat’s name - meowing behind his pub. And now the cat was back and seemed to have come purposely. It sat right at the foot of his back door and meowed until someone opened it.

 

“Whose cat is that?” Shawlong asked from over Grimmjow’s shoulder.

 

“Who knows. Just toss some fish at it and leave it be,” Grimmjow said gruffly. Shawlong nodded and left Grimmjow to take care of it, and Grimmjow sighed in relief when he didn’t ask any questions. “What the hell are you doing here? Playin’ hide and seek with your human?” Grimmjow asked the cat quietly as he fed it. Shiro stopped midway from his eating to meow in response to his question. Grimmjow grinned and scratched behind the cat’s ear, getting rewarded with a pleased purr. 

 

“Shirooooo! Goddamn it, stop making trouble for me!” Grimmjow heard the same voice calling out, and again, he came running down the alley. The kid’s eyes widened when he saw Grimmjow. “Oh, it’s you - ah! Shiro, what the hell, are you begging for food?! I just fed you before you ran out again!” 

 

Grimmjow watched the kid’s antics, and it was amusing to watch him fuss over the cat, the two looking more like a comedy duo than a young man with his pet cat. The orange-haired kid sighed and gave an apologetic smile to Grimmjow who just shrugged.

 

“I think Shiro likes you,” the kid said, and the cat chipped in with a meow. Grimmjow tried very hard not to react to how adorable that was. “Sorry for the trouble, feeding him and all…”

 

Grimmjow shrugged again. “It’s just a cat. We got leftovers.”

 

“Still, thanks… Name’s Ichigo,” the kid said, staring up at Grimmjow expectantly, and so did the cat. That cat was surely extra special.

 

“Grimmjow,” he replied curtly. ‘Ichigo’ smiled, and for a moment, Grimmjow was distracted from the cat, blinking dumbly at the younger man.

 

“How old are you?” Grimmjow asked without realizing he was moving his mouth. Ichigo seemed just as surprised. 

“Twenty,” Ichigo replied. “If you're inviting me for a drink, I don't really…” 

 

“We got non-alcoholic stuff. You'll help out clearing the stock,” Grimmjow shrugged, and he made no attempt to stop talking. Maybe the cat had something to do with it, giving him a peculiar look. It meowed when Grimmjow looked at him. 

 

“Think Shiro would like to come along,” Ichigo chortled, grinning as he scratched the feline’s head. 

 

“Uh… we don't really allow pets in…” Grimmjow was sounding reluctant only because of his cat bias, but the puppy-eyed look on the kid's face was proving to be as effective. And Grimmjow didn't even really like puppies. 

 

“Come on, it's just one cat! I know you like them,” Ichigo teased gently, a warm smile gracing his features. Grimmjow scowled, but seriously, the kid must be part cat or something, because Grimmjow was really mellowing down. Usually, he'd punch the shit out of anyone who'd act this friendly with him, especially if it had anything with his Big Secret. 

 

“Fine. As long as you keep him in your jacket or something. Can't have him running around bothering the other patrons,” Grimmjow grumbled, the part where  _ he'd _ get stupidly distracted by said cat went unsaid. 

 

Ichigo beamed, leaving Grimmjow momentarily blinded until he left. 

 

What the hell, Grimmjow.

 

“Did you just invite an underaged kid into our pub,” Shawlong appeared from behind him again. 

 

“He’s twenty, he's of age,” Grimmjow scowled, not the least startled. The bunch of them could be really quiet if they wanted to. Or maybe Grimmjow was just really distracted by the oranges on the counter.

 

He didn't see the knowing smirk on Shawlong’s face as he went back to work. 

 

 

* * *

 

Ichigo and Shiro the cat became regulars of Grimmjow's pub from that day onwards. Regular enough for the rest of the former El Seis members to know him by name and treat the kid to some food and dote the cat with milk. And Grimmjow thought he was bad. Yylfordt and Di Roy were openly making a ruckus as they played with Shiro. Grimmjow had to yell at them to get them to work. He wasn't envious that they could show that side of them so openly. And he wasn't jealous of them making Ichigo laugh heartily at their antics. 

 

Whenever they happened to be alone together, which doesn't happen very often much to Grimmjow’s disappointment, they were comfortable with each other and conversation came about easily. They'd tease each other and bicker, and though sometimes their jabs sounded bad, neither of them really meant it and Shiro was always there to calm them down or break the tension. 

 

Ichigo had said he first thought Grimmjow was pretty obnoxious with his hair, thinking it was fake, but admitted he liked it. Grimmjow had to excuse himself to the storage room so that no one could see his ears turn red. 

 

And though Grimmjow didn't admit it, Ichigo figured out it might be Grimmjow who was the guy dropping off cats in need down at the animal shelter in town, where he knew the owner and his family personally. Urahara and Yoruichi had spoken of this mysterious, anonymous cat saviour who'd always leave donations along with a good, temporary box-shelter for the cats he rescued. From the conversations he'd had with Grimmjow, and the way he spoke and acted whenever the topic came to be about cats, it was highly possible. 

 

Grimmjow meanwhile, was none the wiser about the hints he'd dropped about himself. He never really realized how unsubtle he could be. 

 

Things were easy between them, and Grimmjow enjoyed Ichigo's presence in his pub, and the rest of his gang got to know Ichigo too and they all had the silent agreement to look out for the kid. 

 

“You guys seem really close,” Ichigo said one day as he sat at the counter, sipping on his chocolate milk. Kid was definitely a cat in his past life or something, Grimmjow had once told him, looking expressionless but Ichigo had noticed how his ears turn a shade of red sometimes. He'd thought it was embarrassing at first, but had grown fond of those sides of Grimmjow. It was endearing, in his opinion. 

 

“We've been around together for at least a decade,” Yylfordt replied with a smirk as he cleaned the glasses and poured a shot for Edrad who was sitting with them. It was a slow day so there weren't a lot of people. Grimmjow was in the back with Shawlong and Nakeem counting stock. 

 

“How old are you guys again?” Ichigo asked, familiar enough with the gang to forget his manners. Shiro purred in his lap.

 

“Some of us will be reaching the big Three ‘O' soon,” Yylfordt grinned at Edrad who rolled his eyes. “And some of us will be a little over our quarter century mark.” 

 

“How old is Di Roy? He acts like a punk,” Ichigo sniggered, earning a ‘hey!’ from the pale haired man who'd just come back from errands. 

 

“Why are ya even askin’ about me? Thought ya would ask about Grimmjow!” Di Roy cut in with his signature lisp as he asked for a glass of water from Yylfordt. 

 

Ichigo stared blankly at the other men who were giving him an eerily similar look. 

 

“What?”

 

“We know you’re using your cat as an excuse to come here,” Edrad teased, as Yylfordt grinned as he leaned over the countertop. 

 

“What? No way,” Ichigo answered defensively, clearly looking to his left.

 

“Not that it’s a problem, we love the little guy!” Di Roy added while he reached over to scratch under the cat’s chin.

 

“And our Grimm needs some attention too,” Yylfordt said suggestively. 

 

“You’re a little young but it’s not really a problem,” Edrad commented, smirking as Ichigo sputtered and almost choked on his chocolate milk.

 

“Stop! He’s just a really nice guy and he took care of Shiro when he first wandered here!” Ichigo protested, though the bright red flush on his face was a dead giveaway.

 

“Of course he’s a nice guy! He’s our leader.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s like extra nice to cats especially. He  _ smiles _ , and I know he thinks nobody’s looking but I’ve seen him get really cute with Shiro,” Ichigo muttered, his cheeks still red. Ichigo looked around to see the others staring at him.

 

“What?! Grimmjow isn’t like that!” Di Roy exclaimed.

 

“Shut up Di Roy, we all know it, we just didn’t want to say anything,” Yylfordt hissed, slapping the top of the other’s head.

 

“Seriously?! How come nobody told me about it!”

 

“He’s sensitive about it.”

 

“Don’t you remember he beat the shit out of one of Aizen’s girls for even hinting about his love for cats?” Yylfordt reminded.

 

“G-Grimmjow assaulted a woman?” Ichigo stuttered. He scowled, wondering about Grimmjow's morality now. 

 

“Two, actually. But to be fair, both of them have done a lot of bad things. They'd kidnapped and attempted to torture some other woman they were jealous of. Grimmjow happened to be there, and they were stupid enough to provoke him with that,” Edrad explained.

 

Ichigo worried at his lip as he stared at Shiro on his lap, who was sleeping now. “You guys really were gang members, huh.”

 

“We were,” Edrad confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

 

“No, I was a trouble kid myself, just not  _ that _ much trouble. ‘Sides, you guys look like you’re proper adults now,” Ichigo grinned.

 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, kid?” Grimmjow asked as he appeared from the backroom, Shawlong and Nakeem tagging behind him. The others were just glad he didn't come in earlier to hear what they were talking about. 

 

“Oh, hey Grimmjow,” Ichigo smiled, though he looked a little disappointed when Grimmjow was staring at Shiro again, his expression a scowl as usual. 

 

Everyone else looked at each other knowingly. 

 

Shiro seemed to have woken up to Grimmjow’s voice, jumped off Ichigo’s lap and slunk around Grimmjow’s legs, rubbing up against his shin and feet, purring loudly. Grimmjow appeared to have a hard time keeping a straight face. He said nothing as he walked out the back door, the white cat following after him happily. Ichigo watched them leave longingly.

 

“Man, you’ve got it hard for him, kid,” Edrad commented. Ichigo’s face would have combusted if it could get any hotter.

 

* * *

 

As days went by, Grimmjow saw more of Shiro than Ichigo. It appeared that Ichigo was busy with something, and the cat had escaped from its home again and travelled all the way to Grimmjow. 

 

Of course, it made Grimmjow very happy. But at the same time, he felt bad because Shiro wasn't his cat, and he realized he didn't feel as happy as he'd expected.

 

Instead of white fur, he was looking out for orange hair, and every time he heard Shiro meow through the back door, he found himself hoping the kid was with him. He hadn't seen the kid in a couple of weeks. 

 

What he didn't notice was that he was slowly opening up about his Big Secret. He no longer actively tried to hide it, and when Shiro rubbed up against him, the others could find Grimmjow sighing as he cuddled the feline. 

 

“Shawlong, do something,” Di Roy nudged the tall man. “This is freaking me out. I've never seen him like this!” 

 

“True. I haven't seen Grimmjow like this in a long while. He looks like his cat just ran away. If he had one,” Shawlong hummed thoughtfully. Nakeem shrugged and let it be. Edrad wasn't into this emotional stuff so he didn't want to get involved.

 

“Ugh. Where the hell did the kid go? It's making me antsy. To be honest, it is weird to see Grimmjow like this and it's all that brat’s fault,” Yylfordt grumbled as he crossed his arms.

 

“Maybe he got a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend,” Di Roy suggested. “Maybe he got a new cat. That's why Shiro is here all the time.” 

 

“Or maybe he's jealous of his own damn cat,” Yylfordt sneered, his known temper getting the better of him.

 

Shawlong hummed as he considered the possibly. Perhaps he would have to help their leader out a bit. 

 

After work that day, Grimmjow did the closing as usual. Shiro had gone back home after he'd been fed and got a good belly rub, and Grimmjow expected the cat to return as usual the next day. 

 

What he didn't expect, was Ichigo who stood right behind him as he locked the door. 

 

“Whoa, kid. What're you doing here so late?” Grimmjow asked after a brief pause of surprise and breathlessness. He wasn't trying to get his heart to calm down upon seeing the kid, or anything. 

 

Ichigo stared at him, looking a bit out of breath himself, as if he'd run all the way there. 

 

“I did it!” Ichigo exclaimed, still catching his breath. “I passed my entrance exams!” 

 

Grimmjow blinked and stared, a little stunned by the announcement, until it sank in and he felt pride swell in his chest. They'd talked about Ichigo and school, and briefly about Grimmjow and his decision to be self employed. Grimmjow had chosen not to go to college, but he was sure Ichigo, who was kind and smart and bright, would do well if he did. So that was why he hadn't seen the kid around; he was busy studying. Grimmjow grinned and ruffled the kid's hair. “Good job, Ichigo.” 

 

“Thank you,” Ichigo replied, still beaming, and Grimmjow noticed how flushed he looked. He must've run far, and Grimmjow felt flattered at the thought. He was just glad he got to see the kid - no,  _ Ichigo,  _ again. 

 

“Ya need a drink? I just closed up but it's fine if I -”

 

“No! Don't need to trouble yourself. I just wanted to share the news with you, but my family had dragged me off for a celebration and I lost track of time, but Shawlong called and he told me you’d still be here at this time so…” Ichigo rambled. His cheeks were still red. Grimmjow wondered if he was okay. Ichigo was brilliant, and he knew the kid was strong too, and could definitely do well in a fight. Ichigo was compassionate, non-judgemental, brave for a young man. He was responsible and cared deeply about those close to him, doted his sisters and was fiercely protective. The kid would mess up with his words sometimes which had brought some tension between them but he'd always  come around to own up and apologize for it, which Grimmjow admired.  And Grimmjow always felt at ease with him, looked forward to seeing him, wanted to talk to him and…. 

 

_ Ah damn _ , Grimmjow thought, as he began to realize he liked Ichigo more than he loved cats. He was… becoming a  _ stupid, mindless goo _ when it came to Ichigo. 

 

Did that mean he was in love with Ichigo too?

 

_ Huh _ .  _ That wouldn't be so bad.  _

 

“Earth to Grimmjow?” Ichigo waved his hand in front of Grimmjow's face, scowling a little and looked annoyed, but seemed concerned too. Ichigo was always too kind and worried about people and animals. Grimmjow was initially possessive of the kid's attention, but he'd grown out of it and understood and began to -  _ love -  _ that part of Ichigo. 

 

“Hey, Ichigo,” Grimmjow murmured, leaning in. Ichigo made a sound that sounded both nervous and questioning, eyes widening and the flush spreading to his neck. “I’m gonna kiss you now.” Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, wide-eyed and his cheeks a bright red. Grimmjow had never seen Ichigo like that, but it was definitely...  _ cute _ .

 

Grimmjow smiled and closed the distance between them the moment Ichigo nodded.

 

_ Meow _ !

 

Shiro’s recognizable meow interrupted them, and it was the first time Grimmjow was very, _very_ annoyed with the cat. Ichigo laughed and bent down to pick the white cat up, as it pawed and stretched its arms to reach for Grimmjow who took him begrudgingly, scowling down at the cat. It was purring obnoxiously.

 

“I think he’s jealous of me,” Ichigo grinned. “Usually, it’s the other way round.” Grimmjow’s scowl turned to a grin as he slowly digested the admittance behind what Ichigo had said. Ichigo held onto Grimmjow's arm and stepped in close.

 

This time, their kiss went uninterrupted.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, Kubo-sensei.
> 
> "Death is not goodbye".


End file.
